Means for lifting moisture from a body of water



June 2, 1964 R. REID 3,

m: LIFTING mm mm A may @F wa Filed N07. 10, 1960 United States PatentThis invention relates to a method and means for lifting moisture from abody of water whereby certain important and useful effects or advantagescan be achieved.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a method and meanswhereby moisture can be lifted from a body of water so that for examplesufiicient moisture can be placed in the air in order to cause theprecipitation or rain to occur so that an eiiective weather controlmeans is provided.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means whereby moisturecan be lifted up out of a body of water so that weather conditions canbe controlled as for example sufficient moisture can be placed in theair in order to control wind currents as well as wind direction sincethe moisture may be placed in a particular location in order to achievethe desired control of the weather, and wherein in certain instances theprincipals of the present invention are applicable to camouflagepurposes so that the present invention lends itself to military as wellas peaceful uses.

Still another object of the invention is to provide such a means forlifting moisture from a body of water, wherein the means of the presentinvention is economical to operate or carry out, and which is efficientin operation and foolproof in use.

These and other objects of'the invention will become apparent from areading of the following specification and claims together with theaccompanying drawing, wherein like parts are referred to and indicatedby like reference characters and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of an embodiment of the presentinvention, with parts broken away and in section.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating a modification.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral iii indicates a buoyantmember which may be a barge, floating vessel, ship, boat or the like,and wherein there is provided in the bottom 11 or" the buoyant memberiii an opening 12 for a purpose to be later described. The nurneral 13indicates a cable which is adapted to be connected to an anchor for thebuoyant member 10, FIGURE 1, and a suitable propelling means 14 may beprovided for the member 10.

The numeral 15 indicates ahollow housing which is generally verticallydisposed, and the housing 15 has a frustro-conical shape, and whereinthe lower portion of the housing 15 as indicated by the numeral 16 is ofgreater cross sectional area than the upper portion thereof as indicatedby the numeral 17. The numeral 18 indicates a reticulated member orscreen which is mounted in the bottom of the housing 15 in the vicinityof the opening 12 so that foreign matter, debris, or the like will bekept from entering the mechanism of the present invention.

Mounted in the lower portion of the housing 15 is a horizontallydisposed platform 19, and the numeral 26B indicates a hollow casingwhich may be supported on the platform l9, and asshown in the drawingsthe casing 2% includes upper and lower frustro-conical sections 21 and22 which have their portions of smallest cross sectional area contiguousor adjacent each other so as to define a restricted throat as indicatedby the numeral 23. The

as on use lower end of the casing 2% is open as indicated by the numeral24. The numeral 2-5 indicates a compressed air chamber which is definedbetween the casing 2t) and housing 15. r

The numeral 2.6 indicates a conduit which has one end communicating withthe compressed air chamber 25, and there is provided on the other end ofthe conduit 26 a discharge head or fitting 27 which is arranged in thelower portion of the casing 2%, as shown in FIGURE 1. A control valve 28is connected to the conduit 26, and the control valve 28 may be operatedby means of a handle member 29 which can be arranged in any suitablelocation.

Mounted above the casing Ed is a horizontally disposed plate 39 which isprovided with a central cut away portion or opening 31, and ahorizontally disposed plate 32 is arranged in spaced parallel relationabove the plate 3% the plate 32 having a central cut away or openportion 33. The numeral 34- indicates a fan which embodies a verticallydisposed driven shaft 35 that extends between the plates 3d and 3.2, anda plurality of rotary blades or vanes 36 are suitably afiixed to theshaft 35.

There is mounted in the upper end of the housing is a nozzle 37, and thenozzle 37 is provided with a restricted throat, and the upper end of thenozzle 37 is open as indicated by the numeral 38.

The numeral 39 indicates the water, and this water 39 is adapted to beacted upon in such a manner that moisture is lifted up from the waterand dispelled into the atmosphere to accomplish the desired effects orresults.

The numeral indicates a conventional power mechanism such as an engine,motor or the like, and the engine dd serves to operate an air compressorll which is adapted to supply compressed air into the chamber 25 througha pipe or conduit 42. The numeral 44 indicates a drive shaft which isadapted to be operated from the engine 453 in a suitable manner, as forexample by means of chain or belt drive 43, and the drive shaft 44serves to rotate the driven shaft 35 through the medium of intermeshingbevel gears 45 and 46. The numeral 47 indicates a pressure gage and thenumeral 43 indicates a pressure release valve for the chamber 25.

Referring now to FIGURE 3 of the drawing, there is illustrated amodification wherein the numeral 49 indicates the horizontally braceswhich are adapted to be suitably secured in the nozzle 3'7, and asupport member St) is connected to the braces 49, there being avertically disposed rod 51 supported by the member 50. The numeral 52indicates a deflector which is afixed to the upper end of the rod 51.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that there has been provided a methodand means for lifting moisture from a body of water such asthe water 3%so that a mist or quantity of moisture as indicated by the numeral 53can be dispensed into the air for various beneficial purposes. As shownin FIGURE 3 by using a deflector such as the deflector 52, a fog likequantity of moisture 54 may be caused to travel in a generallyhorizontal direction close to the ground so that by using the deflector52 the direction or path of the moisture '34 can be readily regulated orcontrolled as desired.

With the parts arranged as shown in the drawings, it will be seen thatthe member 16) which may be a boat, barge, or the like is adapted to betowed or operated along a body of water 3? which may be a river, ocean,lake or any other suitable body of water, and the member 10 may beprovided with various types of accessories such as the propeller 14, andthe anchor chain 13, as well as a suitable engine for driving the same,and there is provided in the bottom of the buoyant member 10 an opening12 which is covered over by a screen or reticulated member 18. Then,with the member 10 in the body of the water 39 as shown in FIGURE 1, itwill be seen that the water 39 will rise through the opening 12 into thelower end of the casing through the opening 24 and the partition 19since water will seek its own level and the level of water in the casing20 will be the same as the level of the body of water 39 in which themember 10 is being used.

By suitably actuating or operating the motor 40, the air compressor 41will be driven so that the compressed air from the conduit 42 will bedischarged into the chamber 25, and by opening the valve 28 by means ofthe handle 29, this compressed air from the chamber 25 will flow fromthe chamber 25 through the conduit 26 and the compressed air will bedischarged upwardly through the discharge outlet or head 27 below thelevel of water in the casing 20. As the compressed air issues into thewater, the compressed air will rise in the water and will carry some ofthe moisture upwardly therewith, and this air and water will then travelupwardly through the casing 20 through the restricted throat 23 and dueto the provision of the restricted throat 23, the velocity of the airand water will be increased as for example in accordance with Bernoulliseffect, and this air and water will then pass upwardly through theopenings 31 in the plate and will be acted on by the revolving blades 36of the fan 34. The revolving blades 36 will have a tendency to helpatomize the moisture and this moisture will then flow upwardly throughthe openings 33 in the plate 32 and will then flow through the nozzle 37which has the restricted throat, and this material will then bedischarged into the atmosphere through the openings 38, and the numeral53 indicating in FIGURE 1 generally the mist or moisture beingdischarged into the atmosphere.

The shaft of the fan 34 has the bevel gear on its lower end which mesheswith the bevel gear 45 on the inner end of the rod 44-, and the rod 44is driven from the engine 40 by means of the chain or belt drive 43 sothat the power mechanism 40 not only provides the means for supplyingcompressed air through the chamber 25 but also provides a means foroperating the fan 34.

With the parts arranged as shown in FIGURE 1, the mist 53 will bedirected in a generally upward direction, and with the parts arranged asshown in FIGURE 3, as the mist or moisture travels upwardly through thenozzle 37, it will engage the bottom of the deflector 52 so that thismoisture will be deflected laterally or outwardly instead of upwardly asindicated by the numeral 54, and the deflector 52 may be supported on arod 51, and the lower end of the rod 51 may be suitably secured to amember 59 that is affixed to arms or braces 4-9.

The parts can be made of any suitable material and in different shapesor sizes.

By means of the present invention, moisture such as the moisture 53 canbe introduced into the air as a spray or mist so that for example rainclouds can be provided or formed, and the moisture may be introducedinto the air in the form of a fine spray. By introducing the moistureinto the air certain beneficial effects in connection with weathercontrol can be effected as for example the present invention can be usedto help lift fog, and air currents can be induced which will becomeself-acting or automatic.

In addition the present invention can be used as an effective means ofdesalination of sea water through the artificial production and controlof certain weather conditions. Sea water vaporized under pressure andforced into the atmosphere rises rapidly forming into clouds andmoisture thus placed into the atmosphere acts to speed-up the rainprocess that is found in nature.

The present invention functions in much the same manner as a water spoutwhere sea water is forced into the atmosphere and returns to the surfacein the form of rain. The quality of rainfall or fresh water desired willdetermine the quantity of water to be placed into the atmosphere andwith the present invention it is possible to produce an air mass of highpressure and also control the wind direction and speed within that airmass and such an air mass produced offshore will by virtue of its higherpressure, pass over land areas of lower pressure so as to yield rainfallor fresh water. The present invention can be operated fromself-propelled barges.

By using the present invention to desalt sea water, certain importantbenefits to barren areas can be brought about and irrigation water canbe supplied so that wastelands, desert areas and the like can berevitalized since the desired or required amount of fresh water can beproduced inexpensively and conveniently.

In addition the present invention can be used as means of minimizing oreliminating smog, and inasmuch as smog is believed to consist ofparticles suspended in the air, by adding additional moisture, theparticles can be caused to settle out of the air in order to eliminatethe smog, and also, dust storms can be controlled with the presentinvention. The member It? may be made large enough so that persons maysleep, eat and otherwise remain thereon for protracted periods of timein a comfortable and convenient manner. In addition more than one of themoisture lifting mechanisms of the present invention may be provided ona single buoyant member 10.

An important aspect or feature of the present invention is the conceptof getting sufficient moisture in the air to cause precipitation orrain, and in addition the present invention also provides a method ofcontrolling weather since wind current and wind direction can becontrolled in order to direct the moisture in a particular location, andthe present invention also provides an improved method of camouflagesince as shown in FIGURE 3 for example the moisture 54 can be directedin a generally horizontal plane in order to help camouflage troopmovements or the like. With further reference to FIGURE 1 the air beingdischarged at the point 27 enters the water below the level of the waterand then the air and water move upwardly through the throat 23 where thematerial is speeded up in velocity, and the blades 36 help break up themoisture into a mist. With the present invention the natural process ofevaporation is speeded up and the moisture will be placed in theatmosphere or air in large quantities and will be broken up into smalldroplets or in the form of a mist, and the device will work in differenttemperature conditions as for example it will work in winter, summer orthe like. The device is simple and economical to use, and it will beuseful in cultivation as in dry areas, and the present inventionprovides a weather control means as well as a desalting process. Thefresh water will return to the earth in the form of rain, since themoisture discharged into the atmosphere as a mist will form cloudsrapidly and also, the present invention can be used to artificiallycreate a high pressure system of air masses and by arranging the highand low masses at desired points, air currents can be set up to readilycontrol storms or the like.

Minor changes in shape, size and rearrangement of details coming withinthe field of invention claimed may be resorted to in actual practice, ifdesired.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the character described, a buoyant member for use on abody of water, a hollow housing supported by said buoyant member andsaid hollow housing having a frustro-conical shape and wherein the lowerportion of the housing is of greater cross sectional area than the upperportion thereof, the bottom of said housing being open, said buoyantmember being apertured to establish communication between the body ofwater and housing, a reticulated member mounted in the bottom of saidhousing, a horizontally disposed platform mounted in the lower portionof said housing, a hollow casing supported by said platform, and saidcasing including upper and lower frustro-conical sections which havetheir portions of smallest cross sectional area adjacent each other soas to define a restricted throat, a compressed air chamber definedbetwecn said casing and housing, a conduit having one end communicatingwith said chamber and said conduit having an upwardly directed dischargehead on its other end which is positioned in the lower portion of saidcasing, a control valve connected to said conduit, horizontally disposedapertured plates mounted in said housing above said casing, a fanincluding a vertically disposed driven shaft extending between saidplates, drive means for said fan, a plurality of rotary blades affixedto said shaft, and a nozzle mounted in the upper portion of said housingabove said fan, and said nozzle being provided with a restricted throattherein.

2. In a device of the character described, an apertured buoyant member,a hollow housing supported by said buoyant member and said hollowhousing having a frustroconical shape and wherein the lower portion ofthe housing is of greater cross sectional area than the upper portionthereof, the bottom of said housing being open, a reticulated membermounted in the bottom of said housing, a horizontally disposed platformmounted in the lower portion of said housing, a hollow casing supportedby said platform, and said casing including upper and lowerfrustro-conical sections which have their portions of smallest crosssectional area adjacent each other so as to define a restricted throat,a compressed air chamber defined between said casing and housing, aconduit having one end communicating with said chamber and said conduithaving an upwardly directed discharge head on its other end which ispositioned in the lower portion of said casing, a

control valve connected to said conduit, horizontally disposed aperturedplates mounted in said housing above said casing, a fan including avertically disposed driven shaft extending between said plates, aplurality of rotary blades afiixed to said shaft, and a nozzle mountedin the upper portion of said housing above said fan, and said nozzlebeing provided with a restricted throat therein, a power mechanism onsaid buoyant member, a compressor driven by said power mechanism,conduit means connecting said compressor to said air chamber, and saidcompressor serving to supply compressed air to said chamber, a driveshaft operated by said power mechanism, and intermeshing bevel gears onsaid drive and driven shafts.

3. The structure as defined in claim 2 and further including bracesmounted in said nozzle, a support member connected to said braces, avertically disposed rod aflixed to said support member, and a deflectorconnected to the upper end of said last named rod.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,026,578 Hammond May 14, 1912 1,968,698 Meyer July 31, 1934 2,776,167Koch Jan. 1, 1957 2,909,127 Bradaska Oct. 20, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS941,487 France July 19, 1948

1. IN A DEVICE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, A BUOYANT MEMBER FOR USE ON ABODY OF WATER, A HOLLOW HOUSING SUPPORTED BY SAID BUOYANT MEMBER ANDSAID HOLLOW HOUSING HAVING A FRUSTRO-CONICAL SHAPE AND WHEREIN THE LOWERPORTION OF THE HOUSING IS OF GREATER CROSS SECTIONAL AREA THAN THE UPPERPORTION THEREOF, THE BOTTOM OF SAID HOUSING BEING OPEN, SAID BUOYANTMEMBER BEING APERTURED TO ESTABLISH COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE BODY OFWATER AND HOUSING, A RETICULATED MEMBER MOUNTED IN THE BOTTOM OF SAIDHOUSING, A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED PLATFORM MOUNTED IN THE LOWER PORTIONOF SAID HOUSING, A HOLLOW CASING SUPPORTED BY SAID PLATFORM, AND SAIDCASING INCLUDING UPPER AND LOWER FRUSTO-CONICAL SECTIONS WHICH HAVETHEIR PORTION OF SMALLEST CROSS SECTIONAL AREA ADJACENT EACH OTHER SO ASTO DEFINE A RESTRICTED THROAT, A COMPRESSED AIR CHAMBER DEFINED BETWEENSAID CASING AND HOUSING, A CONDUIT HAVING ONE END COMMUNICATING WITHSAID CHAMBER AND SAID CONDUIT HAVING AN UPWARDLY DIRECTED DISCHARGE HEADON ITS OTHER END WHICH IS POSITIONED IN THE LOWER PORTION OF SAIDCASING, A CONTROL VALVE CONNECTED TO SAID CONDUIT, HORIZONTALLY DISPOSEDAPERTURED PLATES MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING ABOVE SAID CASING, A FANINCLUDING A VERTICALLY DISPOSED DRIVEN SHAFT EXTENDING BETWEEN SAIDPLATES, DRIVE MEANS FOR SAID FAN, A PLURALITY OF ROTARY BLADES AFFIXEDTO SAID SHAFT, AND A NOZZLE MOUNTED IN THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID HOUSINGABOVE SAID FAN, AND SAID NOZZLE BEING PROVIDED WITH A RESTRICTED THROATTHEREIN.